The present invention relates to a plug connector including a plug movable in a plug-in direction between an uncoupled position distant from a mating connector and a coupled position at which latching arms on the plug interact with latching tabs on the connector in order to releasably connect the plug to the connector. This type of locking is popularly known as a snap-action closure.
In known snap-action closure systems, a latching arm latches after overcoming a latching tab and can subsequently only be released in an awkward manner. Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,593 discloses a snap-action closure which is released by wedge-like arms of a stirrup being pushed between the latching arms and the plug housing, in order to spread the latching arms away from the housing and in order thus to move the latching hook on the latching arm and the latching tab arranged on the housing out of engagement, in order to be able to release a plug and its mating connector from each other. In addition, there are plug devices which are described in the printed document EP 0 477 779 A1. Here, the locking of the plug device is carried out by a resilient connecting part (stirrup) being pressed onto the plug device, perpendicular to the plug-in direction of the plug device, and being pushed over locking shoulders. In the process, the connecting part is briefly spread out. Both plugs (plug device) need an additional part, namely the said stirrup or, respectively, the said connecting part, which has to be fitted captively to the housing and requires that the plug or plug device must be accessible on a specific side in order to operate the stirrup or the connecting part.
The present invention is based on the object of presenting a plug connector with a snap-action closure which is simple to operate and which can be released without additional aids and without great exertion of force.
This object is achieved in accordance with the claims.
Preferred embodiments of the plug connector according to the invention are characterized in the subclaims.
The present invention is based on the idea of configuring the latching arms to be resilient such that a lateral pressure approximately at the centre between the latching arm fixing and its free end leads to the latching hook at the free end of the latching arm being pivoted around the ridge on the latching tab so that the area engaging behind the latching tab is oriented essentially parallel to the plug-in direction, as a result of which the connection becomes easy to release again.